Cherish and Perish
by Shining Zephyr
Summary: *HoratioYelinaStetler* She needed an angel. This abuse was too much to handle.


**You all know I am a complete sucker for my favorite OT3 (One True Threesome) for this series. I'm feeling awfully upset at Stetler for some reason. Time to, once again… -eye roll- make him the bad guy. And yet, that really shouldn't surprise you all in the slightest. Because hopefully some people know that I love this with all my heart.**

**Oy. There's violence and abuse in this. And some language. I'm not being real nice in this fic. Angst galore. **

**And somehow, I still don't own CSI: ****Miami** **

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Cherish and Perish 

"I told you to _shut up._"

The brunette's voice seemed to growl much lower than he was accustomed to as he cornered the woman into the wall, his nose practically touching hers. She smelled the alcohol from his breath, wincing, tears shining in her eyes. This wasn't the first time she was about to get a beat down, and she knew it most certainly wouldn't be the last. Although it was the first time he was drunk in a while, she couldn't bear the sight of him. He was grinning like some sort of psychotic serial killer.

She didn't know why she fell for this man and not another one.

Jealousy, perhaps?

She shook her head. "C'mon, Rick," she muttered, blinking the tears away. "I know you…"

_Smack._ The hand came across her face soundly. She cried out in pain, sliding down slightly. Rick Stetler grabbed her arm, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I told you what happens when you mentioned his name," he grinned, squeezing the wrist even tighter. "Now you're going to have to pay the price."

"Can't you just stop?" she cried, wrenching away from his grasp.

_Smack._ The hand came out again, striking her on the opposite cheek. "What did I tell you before about that bastard?" he drawled.

She shook her head. Now, Yelina Salas was a strong woman, to be sure, but this was nowhere near the strength she was capable of having. She needed someone, something to take her away from him. Someone like her brother-in-law. But she knew he wouldn't come. He was too angry at her for being with Stetler. Too upset at her choice of a boyfriend. Too wallowed in his self-pity to come for her in a time of need.

_Smack._ Another slap across the face. She winced, standing up slightly and glaring at the Internal Affairs Sergeant. "Must it always be like this?!"

"Damn right," he snarled angrily. "I'm tired of this bullshit of you not being here, and I find you and Caine out at some restaurant or making out on a couch at his place or something." His fist swung, and he cuffed her right in the cheek.

She screamed out in agony. She wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer if this kept up. She had to get away, but how? He could easily jump out to the side of her and grab her arm, throw her down and continue to beat her. 'Funny how I complained about hitting my eye trying to get out a pot,' she thought bitterly. 'Now I'm going to have bruises everywhere in the morning.'

She closed her eyes, tears running down her face still. 'Please, let someone come. Anyone come. Anyone at _all…_'

_Ding-dong. _

She didn't know what to think besides a possible thank you for whoever decided to show up. Stetler smirked. "Aren't you going to answer it?" he asked quietly. He didn't sound or look drunk anymore. On the contrary, he sounded quite gleeful.

Yelina nodded finally and hobbled over to the door. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes and opened it.

She nearly embraced the man in the doorway.

Horatio Caine.

He narrowed his eyes and stepped in, not bothering to wait for an invitation. To him, it blatantly smelled of alcohol, fettuccine alfredo, and a severe case of abuse. He glanced at his sister in law, examining her from head to toe, taking in the fact that she now had a slight trickle of blood coming from her mouth. "I take it that wasn't from biting the inside of your mouth," he told her quietly.

Yelina slowly shook her head.

Horatio's frame turned towards Stetler. "And I take it she mentioned my name yet again."

"Why the hell should it matter?" Stetler chuckled, a strange darkness in his tone. "Besides, you _are_ the CSI, after all. I thought you'd be able to figure out what was going on here."

His jaw tightened. "You were beating her again."

The IAB agent shrugged. "And why should it matter to you?"

Horatio's fingers cracked slightly. Yelina glanced nervously between them. "Really, is this necessary for you two to be having a…"

"Yelina," Horatio cut in, anger clouding his vision. "I know what I have to do. I believe Ray Jr. is upstairs crying for you."

She blinked. "B-but…"

_Crack._ Out of nowhere, Stetler's fist connected with Horatio's jaw. The CSI went backwards into the couch, falling over the side of the armrest. Yelina gasped, realizing that now would probably be a good time to go upstairs and lock the bedroom door with Ray. She began to climb up the steps as fast as she could, bruised and battered, when Stetler grabbed her wrist. He glared at her. "Where do you think you're going, _dear?_"

Out of nowhere, a blue of red and black slammed into the abusive boyfriend, yanking his hand away from her. A strangled yell of "GO!" was heard from Horatio, and she ran up the stairs into Ray's room.

Ray looked up, startled from his homework. "Mom?"

She slammed the door shut and locked it, taking a deep breath before finally sinking to the floor. "Sweetie… did you make the…"

He looked nervously at the floor. "Um, uh…"

To the boy's surprise, Yelina simply began to sob. She ran her fingers through her hair, tears rushing down her cheeks. It was all wrong. She was asking for her own funeral with being with that man. And frankly, she didn't want Ray to see her dead before his tenth birthday. The boy got up and hugged her. She didn't break away. "Mom, why does he hit you?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, Ray."

There was a loud bang heard downstairs. Startled, she hugged Ray closer. There was a yell downstairs of "Mother-", followed by a rather inappropriate term.

Ray swallowed. "Is Uncle Horatio going to be okay, Mom?"

"I don't know," she admitted, getting up from her position on the floor. "You can go see if you want to."

The nine year old opened the door cautiously, looking down from the stairway, and the woman was surprised to see her son laughing silently.

He also seemed to mouth to her, "_Come look at this, Mom!_"

Swallowing again, the wounded woman crawled out and gasped at the sight inwardly. Stetler was clutching his nose, which was bleeding freely, as Horatio glared at him angrily. His fist was clenched as he narrowed his eyes. "I told you if you touched her again, I was going to kill you," he told the IAB sergeant. "Be happy I'm in a good mood."

"You son of a bitch," Stetler rasped, backed against the wall. "I don't deserve this at all. I could report you for attacking an officer, Horatio. You, of all people…"

Horatio's mouth was bleeding from the fist to the jaw. "You outta shut your mouth."

His fist connected with Stetler's gut.

The agent doubled over with pain, yelling with whatever breath he had left in him. He gripped the carpet, still holding his nose and trying to not fight back against this brother in law of his girlfriend. Horatio's eyes flamed. "Get out of this house before I _make_ you, Rick. And don't come back."

Stetler slowly stood up and limped out the door, shooting daggers at the male. "I'll be back," he hissed. "And I'll make sure she loves me, and not you."

Horatio slammed the door in his face.

Yelina took shaking breaths. She got up and walked down the stairs, falling into Horatio's arms. "My god…"

"For the record," Horatio whispered. "I think I heard an angel ask me to drop by here just in time."

An angel? She smiled softly to herself. Horatio _was_ her angel.

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**AbuShip! Oh, goody. I must be crazy to try and write something like this in one part. –winces- I try. I'm here. And boy, oh boy. If you didn't hate the old IAB idiot before… If you're lucky, I might come out with another fic, only longer. Reviews are taken and cherished. Thanks for reading. **


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